Terrestrial orchids 2015

[erf]

This little beauty (Ponerorchis graminifolia) has been in flower for over a months now. I grow it with my Pleione praecox and other winter flowering pleiones, minimum winter temperature 5°C. The plant is prolific although the flower size is smaller than some. I am still looking for a nice large flowered one of these, preferably not white.

Very nice Maren, they look quite nice when more tubers in the pot. Mine are very cloce to flowering. This is first time for me, so I do not know the colers, but from looking at the buds, they will come out violet ore lavender. I will post some pictures later.
Regards Erling

[hud357]

This little beauty (Ponerorchis graminifolia) has been in flower for over a months now. I grow it with my Pleione praecox and other winter flowering pleiones, minimum winter temperature 5°C. The plant is prolific although the flower size is smaller than some. I am still looking for a nice large flowered one of these, preferably not white.

Well I looked up the plant on Google and switched to 'image' view. Now I understand that variation within a species is normal but that plant is just ....

"wrong" 

Hi John
<b>A frost free greenhouse, as they will not survive outside in our climate.</b>  The mixture  I use is as follows 1 part perlite, 1 part fine horticulture grit, and 1 part a sandy soil,  with no organic matter in it, it needs to free draining mixture.

Is this about temperature or our combination of low temps and rain? If I were to get eg O. lutea would it survive a 'typical' British winter, temperature wise, so long as it wasn't waterlogged or frozen solid?
   

[Maggi Young]

Well I looked up the plant on Google and switched to 'image' view. Now I understand that variation within a species is normal but that plant is just ....

"wrong" 

  Tee Hee!  A fine example of just how varied some plants can be - and a salutary lesson to those trying to ID plants only known through a few introductions, which may not even scrape the surface of their natural variation!

[SteveC2]

Is this about temperature or our combination of low temps and rain? If I were to get eg O. lutea would it survive a 'typical' British winter, temperature wise, so long as it wasn't waterlogged or frozen solid?
   

But in a typical British winter it will get frozen solid or waterlogged or probably both at the same time or it will dry out, or the slugs and snails will get it.  You only get one chance with a tuber, once the shoot is damaged that's it.
Perhaps you should just try one or two lutea in a sheltered spot. You might have a microclimate that suits them.  They might survive.  They might not.  But I know which my money would be on.

[Maren]

Hi Hud357,

thank you for linking to a Google image page of Ponerorchis graminifolia.
On the same page a little further down there is an image of this species which looks remarkably like mine. You can find it here.
And here is mine once more for comparison.

[SteveC2]

Given that the Japanese have been selectively breeding these for years it is no surprise that there is such variety.  I just wish that some of these varieties were available over here.

Just love the "mistakes" on these Google pages.  Apart from the obvious, dendrobiums etc, you'd think that if your "Ponerorchis" photograph shows something completely different to the rest you might think about checking your plant's identity.

[Roma]

Garden escapes oops
They are native but I have not seen them growing locally
Dactylorhyza purpurella growing in my ponies field.
I used to have lots in the garden but have had problems with the black death in the last few years and most have died though they are still appearing in pots

[SteveC2]

Very much a hybrid, but I wish I had the same problem.  Just too dry here.  We are in the pre ice age bed of the River Trent, gravel and sand six inches down.  I think that an aerial photo would be able to spot it easily, just look for gravel pits and straw like grass.  A couple of hundred yards away all is still green.

[Maggi Young]

Just love the "mistakes" on these Google pages.  Apart from the obvious, dendrobiums etc, you'd think that if your "Ponerorchis" photograph shows something completely different to the rest you might think about checking your plant's identity.

I've often wondered about how far "off" the photos raised by a google search can be - seemed ridiculous to me that there could be any doubt in most cases - but then I realised that  oftentimes there is a mention somewhere on the original page of a picture of the item you searched for in the first place - it is just that the search makes a connection where none exists!

[WimB]

Some orchids flowering here now:

Ponerorchis graminifolia 'Renzetsu Shi-Itten' (first one of many more to come, last year I filled a bowl with these little beauties)
Calopogon tuberosus
Epipactis palustris just starting
and Pogonia ophioglossoides

[WimB]

For those interested in seeing some more forms of Ponerorchis graminifolia, this is an excellent photo-site: http://yaplog.jp/saikachi/

[hud357]

But in a typical British winter it will get frozen solid or waterlogged or probably both at the same time or it will dry out, or the slugs and snails will get it.  You only get one chance with a tuber, once the shoot is damaged that's it.
Perhaps you should just try one or two lutea in a sheltered spot. You might have a microclimate that suits them.  They might survive.  They might not.  But I know which my money would be on.

I was looking to try something in an unheated greenhouse and just wondering if it was wet+cold that would kill them or cold alone.

[Giles]

Some orchids flowering here now:

Ponerorchis graminifolia 'Renzetsu Shi-Itten'

 

Wim,
Is there a European source of Japanese cultivars?
Giles

[SteveC2]

I was looking to try something in an unheated greenhouse and just wondering if it was wet+cold that would kill them or cold alone.

Unheated greenhouses are fine.  Mine went down to -7 during 2012, -17 outside.  Apart from a few Gennaria leaves nothing noticed.  But when it is cold watering virtually stops, so yes it is the wet and cold combination which is the enemy.  If we have winter like 10-11, snow on the ground for nearly three months, frost every night, then don't expect too many flowers as they simply won't grow enough.

I finally had electricity installed this year, not because I was desperate for heating but rather I wanted to have fans to boost the air circulation.

[goofy]

hello friends,
some pics from my side.

Dactylorhiza 'foliosa-hybrid'


Dactylorhiza fuchsii alba


Dactylorhiza fuchsii 'white with rose veining'


Dactylorhiza maculata 'white with rose veining'


Herminium monorchis



enjoy